Lents fair highlights positives in area plagued by homelessness

PORTLAND, Ore. — A part of Portland plagued by, what some deem, the worst of the city’s homeless crisis flipped the script Sunday, hoping to put the spotlight on the best their neighborhood has to offer.

The Lents Founders Fair started near Southeast 88th Avenue and Steele Street, stretched east for more than two miles, and featured more than 100 vendors, live music and other attractions.

Organizers had been planning it for months and were glad to see it serve as a sharp contrast to the sights and events that normally draw news cameras their way.

“In Lents we see homelessness, theft, drug addiction in spades,” said Robert Schultz, a neighborhood advocate who helped organize the event. “We see gentrification, people getting pushed out, can't afford the rent. So, we need events like this.”